Stuck in the Sticks
by Wishin' on the stars
Summary: Matty had no idea what she would be doing the summer before her senior year. Good thing, too, because she would've never agreed to this. Not now, not ever. When Eric shows up on her porch, the last thing he expected was to be stuck in a place he's never heard of. Sucks for him, because he's not going anywhere any time soon.
1. Chapter 1

Eric was driving down the country road, not paying attention to where exactly he was driving to. He was deep in thought when his car slowly puttered out. He got out slamming the door, pulling open the hood. Smoke came billowing out, and after looking for the problem, almost kicked the hood of the car and yelled. A wire had moved out of place and fried itself, and it was too far gone to repair it. Eric sat down on the hood, trying to figure out what to do.

Then, a little ways off, he saw a light click on. He hadn't realized there was a house on this road. All he'd seen for miles was forest and green fields. Maybe a few big farmhouses here and there. He grabbed his bag and started walking, hoping these people were nice.

Matty was pulled awake by one of her dogs, whining to go outside. According to her clock, it was 5 in the morning. "Why do you do this to me, dog!" she groaned. Matty got out of bed and stretched, her spine popping and cracking. Her first day of summer vacation and she had to get up no earlier than usual. On her calendar, she changed the page to June, today being the first

She walked downstairs, turning on a few lights. A lot of her windows were open, since her house had no AC. She turned on the porch lights, letting her dog Kenny out of the house. He ran barking to the end of the driveway. Matty couldn't see him, but she knew he stopped at the road. She had specifically trained these dogs to do so. Something was bothering her dog when she noticed a car's head lights about half a mile down the road. She sighed.

Walking up to the house, Eric was met by a collie sitting in the driveway. He held out his hand, which the dog sniffed then licked. He ran off barking down the dirt driveway. He followed, taking a careful look at the house.

It was a beautiful old house, with a red tin roof and white wood siding. There was a huge tree in the front yard, with an old truck parked under it. There was a wraparound porch, which was where the collie now sat. He barked at the screen door, when there was yelling from inside.

"Hold your dang tail, dog! I'm comin' back!" Then a girl came out already in shorts and an old plaid shirt. Her almost dirty blonde hair was pulled back in a braid, hanging over her shoulder. She was tiny, probably only reaching 5' 2". He almost felt bad for her. He was gaining on 6 foot and towered over her. As he studied her, she raised an eyebrow.

"Are you going to stand there and stare at me?" She did not seem happy. She crossed her arms over her chest, eyeing him as well. She was much more inconspicuous than he was.

"Hello, Mrs. Fray." That was the name written on the mailbox. When the girl heard this, she snorted, but let him continue. "My car kind of, well, broke down on the road. I need it fixed as soon as possible, so I was wondering if you knew anyone to fix it?" he shoved his hands in his pockets, rocking back on his heels.

"Ha! I'm no Mrs. I'm not even 17, city slicker. I know you broke down. You woke up my dang dog at 5 in the morning! Now come on. Let's see how bad this is. Chances are I can fix it. I learned from the best." Eric noticed she had a country accent, and a pretty thick one. He walked up to her truck, and she climbed into the driver's seat.

He climbed in, with the dog sitting in the middle seat. The dog kept trying to sit in his lap. The girl glanced at this and started laughing. "You just took my dog's seat, boy. Just let 'em sit with you. Kenny, lay down." The dog obeyed, putting his head and front paws in Eric's lap.

She drove up to Eric's car, and got out. She opened the hood. "Where do you have to get to in a hurry, city slicker?" she asked. She still was fiddling with his engine. Eric noticed she was barefooted, but the rough road didn't bother her. He was studying a tree stump farther back in the woods. There was a little well worn path to get to it.

"Nowhere, I just needed to get away from everything." She mumbled something, and it probably wasn't too nice. "And will you stop calling me city slicker? My name's Eric. And I don't know your name."

"I'm Matty. Well, city slicker," Eric rolled his eyes. "You're going be stuck here for quite awhile. Welcome to Dinwiddie. You might as well come on and eat." She climbed back into her truck, Eric still staring at her.

"What? I'm not staying in this crappy little town!" He was confused. All he had to do was go buy another wire and he could leave.

"That wire of yours is for a model we don't have 'round here. I can order you one, but it'll be a month till they get out here, probably," she thought, "June 30th at the earliest. Now are you comin' or what?" Eric climbed reluctantly into the cab of her truck and she drove back to her house.


	2. Chapter 2

"I've got a lot of questions for you, so you might as well start explainin' yourself." Matty was making breakfast, batting away her four huge dogs from the bacon. Eric was sitting at the table, watching her. The red plaid shirt she was wearing was too big for her, falling past the end of her shorts, which he now realized were pretty short. She was wearing a black tank top under her shirt, tucked into her shorts. She was still barefoot, but it didn't seem to bother her.

"Well, I'm Eric Bowen. I'm a student at William and Mary, but I live in New York. I turned 20 a few weeks ago. My dad just proposed to his girlfriend, and I left," Eric told her. Matty threw a look over her shoulder, frowning. Eric had guessed that she wasn't the nicest person out there.

"You left 'cause your daddy basically fell in love?" This surprised her. Eric nodded. "Why? I would be happy for my daddy if I were you."

"Seriously, where can I get this wire? I want to get out of this freak town. And I don't believe in love. All it does is hurt people." Matty spun around, wielding her spatula. Her once blue eyes were now a steel grey.

"Don't you dare say that 'round here, boy. Sometimes that's all you have left." She slammed the plate on the table. She walked out, whistling for her dogs. He was about to follow her when 2 of the dogs, both yellow Labradors, growled at him. Eric backed off, trying to find their collars. Apparently these dogs were Miranda and Carrie. He noticed a red barn behind the house, which Matty appeared from. She was riding a fully white horse bareback, her collie and sheep dog following behind. She raced through the fields and faded into the woods.

Matty was mad at him. Didn't believe in love? What kind of person was that? She sat atop her white mare, Genevieve, watching her dogs swimming in the river that ran through the very back of the property. They came and sat down by her horse, begging her to play with them. She smiled. Her dogs always made her feel better.

She was still barefoot, but she grabbed a stick from the woods and stepped into the water. She was playing with her dogs, when suddenly one of them knocked her in. "BLAKE!" she shouted. The big sheep dog was licking her, and she was laughing trying to get him off her. Her favorite shirt ripped on a rock, but she didn't seem to care. After a while Eric disappeared from her mind.

Matty eventually climbed back onto Genevieve, still dripping wet. She pulled off her plaid shirt, not overly fond of it clinging to her. Her braid dripped cold water down her back, but it felt good in the early June heat. She set her horse at a walk, heading to the house.

Watching her dogs snap at butterflies and bees, the topic of Eric finally came back to Matty's thoughts. There was plenty of love on this farm. The horses, her dogs and the barn cats, the feel of the wind when racing through her fields, she loved everything here. The sun was now over the tree tops. She got off Genevieve, saying hello to all the other horses.

The barn cats, Mae and Max, came streaking down the ramp to the hayloft. Mae was slower, heavy with unborn kittens. She would have them in the next few weeks, and as soon as she didn't come greet Matty, she was expecting soon. The dogs and cats got along just fine, since they grew up together. She undid her hair, wrapping it in a towel. She grabbed her plaid shirt and walked into the house.

While Matty was gone, Eric took the time to explore. The house really was beautiful, with dark wood floors, high ceilings, and big windows. The kitchen was old fashioned, but it felt homey. He walked up the steps, continuing his exploration. The bedrooms all looked the same, except for the last one. It was painted white like the others, but had a canopy bed and looked more lived in.

The bed was unmade, on the desk were clean and folded clothes, and notebooks were scattered everywhere. A bookcase stood in the corner filled with many different novels. He was just going to pick one of the notebooks up when he heard the screen door slam. He rushed downstairs, only to find Matty dripping wet. "Don't ask city slicker."

"I will. What happened to you, Blondie?" Matty shot him a glare.

"I ripped my favorite shirt on a rock. And if you call me Blondie again I will kick that city butt of yours into next week. Now, I'm goin' to go take a shower. We'll figure out where you can stay after. Stay out of my room, ok?" She raced upstairs, her loyal dogs following behind. Kenny, the collie, had taken a liking to Eric and stayed with him. Or, of course, he was following Matty's orders to keep an eye on him. These dogs seemed extremely smart, and they were almost like people.

Matty stepped into the shower, letting her thoughts run wild. Country music blared from her radio. This guy was going to be a handful, and he clearly didn't want to be here. She would have to put him to work, and maybe that would help. She stepped out, wrapping herself in a towel, and walked to her room.

Her loyal dogs were guarding the steps and the door to her room. She took the big glass vase on her dresser and gave them dog treats. She would take one to Kenny later. She pulled on a tank top and her shorts. She looked in her full length mirror, suddenly realizing her shorts were a tad small, but decided she didn't care. She pulled her hair into a bun, put on her locket, and pocketed a dog treat for Kenny.


	3. Chapter 3

She walked downstairs only to find that Eric wasn't there. She walked to the porch and whistled. Kenny poked his furry head out of the barn and barked, disappearing back through the door. She smiled. She had told Kenny to follow Eric, and he had done his job. She was too lazy to put on shoes so she just walked out barefoot. She walked across the pasture, careful not to step in any presents left by the horses.

Eric was with the horses, patting their noses and giving them handfuls of their feed. Matty leaned against the barn door. Samantha, who just had her colt last month, was whickering at Eric because she didn't want to be left out. "You're lucky." Eric turned to her, surprised that she was there.

"How, you, what? Don't scare me, Blondie." Matty smiled.

"You learn to be quiet around here. It makes it easier to do stuff. And Sam there won't let people near her baby." She pointed to the new colt. Matty walked over to him, punching him square in the arm. Eric rubbed his shoulder, frowning back at her. "Don't call me that. And we need a name for him."

"What about Matthew? And why those names for the dogs? You don't hear those names much." Eric regretted it as soon as he said it. It was too much like her name. Matty thought about it, then nodded. "You know my story, so what about yours, Blondie?" he asked. Matty sighed, hitting him again. She knew this was coming.

"Go listen to the radio, city slicker. I'm 16, and I live here with my grandma. That's the Mrs. Fray on the mailbox. My Auntie Lynn is getting married so she's up near D.C. with her to help get her settled. We own the land here, but our neighbor, Mr. Jameson and his son work the field," Matty explained.

"Now come on. You're gonna need to help me. And I'm not blonde," Matty told him. He threw her a look, but followed her out of the barn. She went to the garden behind the house.

"If you live with your grandma, where are your parents?" Eric asked. Matty completely ignored the question. She explained what to pick, and set to work. After 2 hours, they had gone through all the rows. The sun was setting, so they turned in. Matty told him that he would have to find food for himself and she wasn't going to help. Eric couldn't sleep at all, so he went and sat downstairs.

On the mantle were a few picture frames, mostly of Matty as a little girl. He saw a picture of two grownups he didn't recognize and was about to take a closer look, but a dog came and sat at the top of the steps. Eric knew that if he messed with anything, the dog would go get Matty. Little did he know she was fast asleep. And probably wasn't going to get up anytime soon.

Matty was up with the sun. There was work to be done. She fed the horses and cleaned their stalls first. She put them out in the pasture and they started running. It was closing in on 9 o'clock, and she hadn't eaten breakfast. Eric still wasn't awake, so she went to the room he was staying in. It was at the other end of the hall from her room, which she was glad for. She walked into his room quietly, smiling at him. Eric was on his back, the arm thrown over his face. One foot was hanging off the side of the bed, and the other folded at a very uncomfortable looking angle. She was nice enough to let him sleep.

Eric slept in late, and really didn't want to get up in the first place. When he woke up, the sun was shining through his window and into his face. He groaned. Pulling himself out of bed, he threw on a shirt and a pair of jeans and walked downstairs. Matty was nowhere to be found, so he walked outside. He heard noises from the barn, so he walked there. Matty was standing in the back of her pickup truck, hauling hay from there to the hayloft. She threw them up as high as they could go, but they didn't seem to make it very far.

They made it to the edge and that was it. Matty apparently heard Eric because she pulled off the gloves and sat on the tailgate. She pushed her sweaty bangs off her forehead. "Well, good mornin'. Took you long enough to get up. If you help me with the hay, I'll make breakfast soon. It's only 9." She tossed him the gloves, and he climbed into the bed of the truck. Matty climbed off, turning back to him at the barn door. "Hay goes up there. I don't care how you do it, as long as it ends up there." She turned and left, leaving Eric annoyed at her smart remarks.

By the time Eric was done, he was hungry. He pushed the gloves into his back pocket and walked to the house. When he walked through the back door, Matty seemed surprised to see him. "Done already?" Eric looked at her funny, but nodded. She figured since he was taller and stronger than her, he didn't use as much energy as she did. "Usually takes me an hour to finish it. That took you less than half. Here, I said I'd make you food, and you sound hungrier than my dogs when they've missed a meal."

She handed him a plate of pancakes, and he sat down at the table. It was a big table, but Matty really didn't want sit near him, so she sat on the counter with her plate between her knees. She only had one pancake, while he was given three. He looked at her, and she finally looked up from her measly portion. "What?"

"Why'd you give me three, and you have one?" She frowned.

"Maybe 'cause you're 'bout a good 70 pounds heavier than me? And I don't eat much. Anyway, I'm only but so big. Eat your dang flapjacks before the dogs do." They were circling the table, waiting for a chance at a piece. Eric nodded, and then wolfed down his food. When he was finished, Matty took him outside and told him what needed to be done.

"I have to go fix the fence at the far corner of the field. You can either feed the horses or bring in more hay." She tossed him her keys. "Just don't kill my baby, ok?" He nodded and she swung onto her horse. "Hand me the tool bag please. I can't get on well when I'm holding it."

She pointed the bag out and he grabbed it off the shelf. It was heavy, but not enough so it was hard to lift. When he handed it to Matty, she seemed unaffected by it. She put her heels to her horse and rode off. Eric watched her leave, and then turned to walk to her truck. He brought the hay in from where Matty told him to, and loaded in onto the back of the truck.


	4. Chapter 4

He threw the hay to the loft, and then went to feed the horse. There was a sheet tacked to the wall about how much to feed in Matty's sloppy handwriting. Matty still wasn't back yet, so Eric went to go find her. He didn't want to ride, so he walked. Eric started along the fence line, looking over the land. It was quiet, and Eric could only hear the sound of birds. He saw a horse in the distance, so he headed that way. A small tree had fallen on the wire fence and Matty had hitched her horse to it and together they were pulling it out of the way. She replanted the fence posts and twisted together new wires.

Eric watched her as she worked. She knew exactly what she was doing and wasted no time in doing so. She knew Eric was there, she had seen him walking along the fence, but didn't acknowledge it. When she was finished, she turned to Eric. "I'm assuming you finished everything." She packed up the tools and set it on her horse's saddle. She pulled the reins and started walking back. Eric chased after her.

"What are you doing? Why aren't you riding?" He was confused. She could easily ride instead of walking.

"It's not polite since you don't have a horse, and that dang tool bag is uncomfortable to share a saddle with." She kept walking like it was no big deal. Eric stopped, and when Matty turned to look at him, she did too.

"Go on, get on your horse. I can walk. And since when are you polite?" he asked as he grabbed the tool bag and gestured toward the saddle. Matty scowled and was about to complain. "Get," Eric cut her off. She grumbled but climbed up. She set her horse at a slow walk, looking down at Eric. She was about to tell him off about calling her rude, but decided against it. They rode back in silence.

When they went back inside, Matty went and marked off today, then realized she still could make it to the market. She told Eric to come help her get the vegetables, and he followed like an obedient dog. And Matty would know what that was.

They put the crates in the back of Matty's truck, piling them up. "I'll be right back. Mrs. Jenna doesn't always approve of my clothes." She raced upstairs, coming back with jeans, a clean buttoned up white shirt, and high heeled cowboy boots. She hopped in, Kenny in the passenger seat. "Comin'?"

Eric tried to get in and move Kenny, but he growled. Matty sighed and got out of the cab. She opened the tailgate to the bed of her truck bed and called him. "Kenny, get up." He raced around and jumped in, looking happy to be outside. "He's usually not allowed back here." Eric climbed in next to Matty, turning on the radio. Country music started blaring, and after searching through the stations, he found nothing else. A song came on, and Matty's face lit up.

"Oh I love this song!" She turned it up and started singing like Eric wasn't even there. He watched her as she sang, laughing as she moved to the music. She looked at him and smiled. That was the first time he had seen her really smile, and he realized it made her look kind of pretty. Matty could really sing.

"I didn't know you could sing. What was that?" Eric asked. Matty smiled. Something about singing along to country made her feel better.

"It's a song by Darius Rucker, and sorry about that. I can't carry a tune in a bucket."

"That was amazing, Matty." She blushed, the pink creeping up her cheeks. They pulled up to the church, which had plenty of people already there. "Welcome to the Dinwiddie Farmer's Market. Now come on. I want my usual table." They grabbed the crates and hauled them to a table near the back of the lot. The tables were set in a circle, with a wide open space in the middle.

"Sometimes we have people who perform." Kenny sat under the table in the shade, already panting. Matty waved to who Eric assumed was Mrs. Jenna, the main organizer of the event.

Matty stood behind the table, smiling and talking to people. She seemed to know everyone there. Kids sat under the table with Kenny, laughing and squealing as he licked them. Matty had a little silver box with all the cash, and she could do the math for change in seconds. Eric was impressed. As soon as people started slowly leaving, Matty rushed to a stall across the way to talk to her childhood friend. Eric stayed with the produce.

"OH, girly, you got a hot one over there. Why didn't you tell me?" Emily almost yelled at Matty.

"Because he's stuck here. If you want him PLEASE take him!" Matty told her. She had her back to her table, so Emily could look at Eric.

"He keeps lookin' this way, but I don't know if he's lookin' at you or me. I'm hopin' it's me. Let's see, black hair, gorgeous deep brown eyes, and he's like, over 6 foot! Girl, you are so lucky!" Emily listed off.

"No I'm not. He's rude and he always complains!" Emily looked at her and laughed.

"Sounds just like you. Y'all would be a perfect match. Now get your tiny butt over there and invite him to the party." Matty shook her head.

"You're the one who likes him. I'll make sure he comes if you ask." Emily thought about it, and then walked over to Eric. She started twirling one of her corkscrew curls around her finger. Eric looked over Emily's head to Matty, who frantically nodded her head. He smiled, and Emily came rushing back, very pink with excitement. "He said he'll come!" she was squealing.

"I'll leave you here to freak. Catch ya tonight Em." Matty walked back to her table and started packing up. "Come on, Eric. Let's go." She didn't look him in the eye. They drove back home, when Eric finally spoke up.

"Explain the whole issue with Emilia." Matty cracked a smile.

"It's Emily, and she has an annual summer party that you just got invited to tonight. It's not exactly casual, so I probably won't stay, though I can pull the best bud card and get out of going, your choice." Matty told him. Eric nodded.

"I'll dress up, but are you?"


	5. Chapter 5

Matty snorted at his question.

"Course not. I hate dressin' up and avoid it whenever possible." Eric smiled. That was Matty for you. "Go take a shower. You smell." Eric walked upstairs, and Matty sat on the porch, watching the sun get closer to the treetops. Matty heard the screen door creak and turned to look. She snapped her had back immediately. Eric stood in the doorway, fresh out of the shower wearing a pair of jeans…and only a pair of jeans.

Eric was VERY nice looking. Matty blushed, and Eric noticed. He stood in front of her, hands on his hips. "Now what do I wear?" Eric was pretty muscular, like he worked out on his free time. Maybe he played football, because he had the build like one.

"Wow, city slicker. Not bad, but I've seen much better than that," Matty smiled as she patted his stomach. She brushed past him, going upstairs.

Eric was a little amazed, but he'd never admit it. Not many girls could ignore him like that. He followed Matty up the stairs. "Put on a button up! You'll fit in more!" she called. He did so, waiting for Matty at the front of the house. She came downstairs, and Eric tried not to stare himself. She was back in shorts, with a loose white top that only covered half her waist. It had a scooped neck and short sleeved, with green designs at the hem. Her hair was in a ponytail, which was almost longer than her shirt.

Eris saw a mark on her back, but then it could have just been the light, and he decided not to ask. Matty, who grew up with boys, caught him staring. She blushed. People didn't usually stare at her, but she had seen guys stare at Emily when they hung out. She knew the look Eric was giving her. "If I didn't dress up, I probably wouldn't be allowed in." She pulled on a pair of work boots, but also grabbed her cowboy boots. She headed out the back door, followed by a confused Eric.

"What are you doing?" he asked. Matty had walked into the stable and grabbed a saddle.

"We're ridin'. Emily's house is only a few miles that way. I don't want to waste gas," she said as she pointed down the road. "There's a path that will get us there faster, but it's all muddy. It'll take us half an hour. Now, you can either ride with me, or ride Trace over there." She nodded to a horse at the end of the barn. "He's the sweetest besides Genevieve." Matty patted her beloved horse's neck.

"I think I'll ride with you. I don't really know how to ride…" he trailed off. Matty grabbed a saddle and bridle, tightening it on.

"Come on. I'll get on in front of you." She nodded to the saddle, and Eric swung himself up. "Scoot back 'cause I might accidently kick you." Matty swung up on the horse, carefully keeping her leg tucked in so she wouldn't hit Eric. Because the saddle was really only meant for one person, Matty was basically sitting in Eric's lap. She pulled on the reins, and Genevieve walked out through the barn and the gate, walking around to the side of house. Eric was defiantly nervous since he kept fidgeting, not knowing where to keep his hands.

She sighed in annoyance. "My hips, Eric." He stopped, peering around at her. "Put your hands on my hips, Eric. You're freakin' out my horse and I don't want her to buck." Eric continued to sit still. "Or you could do that." Matty faced forward, not caring what Eric did as long as he didn't scare Genevieve. Slowly, she felt hands on her hips, which were sadly half bare. She felt Eric relax a little behind her.

Eric wasn't sure what to do. Matty had told him to put his hands on her waist, and he was a little scared to. She could hurt him pretty easily. He timidly set his hands on her bare skin, but she didn't react. His grip tightened on instinct a little when an owl hooted above them, which made Matty laugh. "I can take care of myself, so don't you go worryin' 'bout me." He still kept his grip, but she didn't seem to mind. They reached the house a little while later, and they dismounted. Matty tied up her horse, changed boots, and they walked into the party in the barn.

The barn was beautiful, nothing like Matty's. The big double doors were replaced with sliding glass ones, and strings of lights were hung around inside. There were a few wooden picnic tables in the back, covered in the customary red and white tablecloth. Everywhere Eric looked, there was mason jars with candles in them, adding softer light to the dark corners.

Matty immediately went to find Emily. When she did, she was arguing with her twin brother Edward. "Matty, you're here! And so is the city slicker!" she eyed him appreciatively. "Now that I look at him, he kind of reminds me of that Bailey kid who won that televised talent competition." Emily said. Matty laughed. Bailey was a good 5, if not 6, years younger than them, with bleach blond hair and blues; nothing like Eric at all. "Look, I need you to get the dancing goin'." She nodded to the band, and Matty got an idea. She walked up to the front of the barn, near the band.

There was a wolf whistle before she was about to speak. "I know that was you Johnny!" The crowd laughed, and a boy with blonde hair reddened. "Hey y'all, glad that you're here. We need more energy here, so let's kick this party off, shall we?" The band started playing, and she shouted. "Everyone knows this song, so let's see who can keep up!" She stepped off the platform, starting to dance. She was good, keeping the beat. People joined in, in step with her.

After the song ended, people kept dancing to the country music blaring. Matty escaped and leaned against the wall. After a while, Emily came over to her. "Girl, you got that boy followin' you 'round like a lost puppy. You don't know how lucky you are!" Eric had been watching her most of the time, practically ignoring all the girls that tried to flirt with him. He could definitely draw a crowd. Matty rolled her eyes and Emily disappeared back into the crowd. Eric walked up to her, looking bored.

"Look, do you play football at your college?" she asked. Eric was confused, but nodded. "Those boys over there are my age and play. Go talk to them." She pointed to the group of guys across the barn and shoved him in their direction.


	6. Chapter 6

The party continued on, and at 11, Eric came up to Matty again. "We've been here for three hours, and you look about ready to fall asleep standing up. Come on, let's go home." Matty smiled weakly and followed him outside. She didn't even notice he called it 'home' and not 'your house.' This time she climbed on first, making it easier for Eric.

"Go home, Genevieve," she commanded her horse. "She knows the way, and I'm tired and I'm goin' to sleep. Wake me up when we get to the barn." She leaned against the horse's neck, scooting out of the saddle more. That couldn't be comfortable.

"Matty, you can lean back against me." She mumbled something, but didn't move. Eric sighed. He wrapped his arms around Matty's waist again, pulling her against him. He laid her head against his shoulder, and she moved closer to him. He wrapped his arms tighter, moving her fully back into his lap.

Matty leaned against Genevieve's neck, very uncomfortable, but it was better than Eric. She heard him tell her something, but only grumbled in response. She felt his arms on her waist, pulling her back. She was like a ragdoll, head lolling to the side. Eric put her head on his shoulder, and she was surprised at how nice it felt. He moved her back to his lap. The night was slightly chillier than normal, and Eric was warm.

Matty placed her hands on his which were wrapped around her waist and settled on her stomach. She fell asleep with the familiarity of her horse's steps and the unfamiliarity of this stranger's arms around her and his breath on her cheek.

When the horse got back to her stable, Matty was still asleep. Eric tried to wake her up, but she was too tired. He swung off the horse, careful to not disturb Matty. He pulled her off Genevieve, and cradled her in her arms. He carried her up to her room, the dogs following behind. He put her on the bed, and then pulled off her mud caked boots.

Taylor jumped up beside Matty and she automatically started brushing her fur. Ryan slept at the end of the huge bed, and Blake curled up in Matty's big stuffed chair. Kenny followed Eric back out to the barn. He removed the horse's saddle and bridle, and then went to his room, where he changed and climbed into bed. The dog curled up at the end of the bed, and Eric drifted into sleep.

The tension between Eric and Matty was practically visible when they were together. But, sooner or later, they didn't want to murder each other. The morning after the party, Eric woke up to Matty singing in the kitchen. He walked down the steps, careful to not stand on the ones that creaked. He listened to her for awhile. She was amazing when she sang. Eric walked down the rest of the steps and stood in the doorway. Matty didn't seem to realize he was there. She kept singing, dancing along to the beat. She was cooking breakfast but didn't miss a single step.

She twirled, her shirt flying around her and sliding from her shoulder. Eric had never noticed it, but Matty has dimples on the backs of her shoulders. The song ended, and Eric started clapping.

Matty almost dropped the plate she was holding. She faced Eric, a deep red crossing her cheeks. The tiny freckles were visible across her nose when she blushed. She fixed her shirt and handed him the plate of food. They watched each other while they ate, not realizing what the other was doing. Eric hadn't made a rude comment, and Matty hadn't insulted his ego. They finally found that if they didn't pick fights with each other, they probably wouldn't want to kill each other.

The next day, Eric got up extra early. He walked to Matty's room, hoping she was still asleep. She was. The dogs looked up when he walked in, but didn't bother moving. They knew him well enough not to get too excited. He sat down on the double bed Matty was curled up in. Eric had his back to her headboard, his legs out straight. He had never seen Matty with her hair down, and it was spread across the pillow behind her. Eric sat so Matty had her back to him.

She was curled up completely, her face hidden in the crook of her arm. The covers were pulled just to her ankles. He watched her as she slept, realizing this was the most peaceful she'd even been. Matty always had a nervous energy when Eric was near, like she had to be moving at all times. She stretched, extending her arms over her head and pointing her toes, straitening her legs out. Matty rolled over, now facing Eric.

He was just about to move when Matty started mumbling. It wasn't sentences, but he heard Emily's name, his name and quite a few very descriptive words about him. He caught egotistical, a jerk, and awkward. He was just about to leave when she continued to mumble. This time they weren't insults. They were mostly adorable, hot, and something along the lines of great body. That was nice to hear. Eric felt his face flush. He would never have thought he'd hear that from Matty, even if she was dreaming.

Matty was having the strangest dream. She was sitting with Emily at the party, which was a few days before. "I mean, he's a total jerk, and he can be so egotistical it's not even funny!" dream Matty complained. Dream Emily just nodded. "But before your party, oh good Lord that boy is going to be the death of me! He came out with a pair of jeans on, and I swear that guy has one of, if not the best, body I have ever seen. And when we were ridin' here, he was totally adorable. He had his hands on my waist and he heard somethin' and he freaked and held on tighter. It makes my face feel hot just thinkin' about it," dream Matty continued.

Then, in her dream, Eric walked in. Dream Emily disappeared and he walked slowly up to dream Matty. He hooked his fingers into her belt loops, pulling her closer. Dream Matty looked up at him, and he leaned closer. He placed feather light kisses across her jaw line, taking his sweet time. She pulled him closer, tilting her chin to look up at him, and he finally pressed his lips to hers in a long, slow kiss.

Matty jerked awake, sitting straight up.


	7. Chapter 7

Her cheeks were red, and she had a smile on her face. It was strange, but definitely not a terrible dream. She turned to find Eric watching her, a grin plastered to his face. He was standing near her open window, leaning against it. She scowled at him, but her face started to heat up again. Eric was standing there without a shirt. His hair was ruffled, as if he had been running his hands through it. All it did was make him look more attractive. Matty tried desperately to ignore that observation. Her eyes flashed from his face to his bare chest and back again.

"Do you mind puttin' on a shirt?" she grumbled. Eric's smile brightened.

"What happened to having a great body? I heard you talking, so I know it's true." Matty stared at him in horror. In a split second she was out of bed, standing in front of him. She could feel the heat radiating of him from this close. He stood to his full height, peering down at her.

"Don't EVER tell ANYONE," she growled at him. Matty's hair hung around her shoulders, wavy and untamed. Eric wound a piece of it around his finger. She watched him closely, her eyes flashing again from his face to his chest. They were still a foot or two apart, and that was too far away for Eric.

Wrapping his arms around Matty's waist, he yanked her closer. She stumbled at the sudden movement, now pressed close to him. She had put her hands to catch herself, and now they were firmly pressed below his shoulders, flat against his chest. Matty looked up at him, her eyes wide. Eric started laughing, and Matty could feel his body shaking under her fingers. She pulled away.

Matty found a certain interest in her feet, studying them instead of Eric. He brushed past her, placing his hand on her shoulder, gently grazing it was he walked past. He shut the door behind him and Matty fell onto her bed. He was just trying to get under her skin, he didn't really like her. Well, he was doing a dang good job doing so. They never spoke of the incident, pretending it never happened, but it was burned into both their minds.

Since Eric only had one bag of clothes, he eventually started to borrow Matty's dad's clothes. Eric finally understood what Matty meant that there was love on the farm. Mae the barn cat had her kittens, 3 boys and 1 girl. They all named them with the first letter J. They ended with Jack, James, Josh, and Juliet. Matty taught Eric to ride, and he was improving all the time. Then on the 19th of June, the mailbox was stuffed with letters. Matty didn't seem surprised.

"What's all that, Matty?" he asked. She didn't open any of the letters yet, and she kept watching the phone. It rang, and she grabbed it.

"Hi!" she sounded like such a little kid. "Thank you, Grandma." So that's who it was. "Right on time, too."… "Yes we're taking care of them. They were 4, Jack, Josh, James, and Juliet."… "No, not Emily, there's a city slicker whose car broke down."... "Eric?" He could hear shouting from the other end of the phone. Matty held the phone away from her ear for a second. "Grandma, clam down! As soon as his car can be fixed he's leaving."… "I know, I should have and I'm sorry."… "Alright tell Auntie Lynn I said hi." She hung up, turning to Eric. "You almost got me in a load of trouble." She walked over to the beat up kitchen table, shuffling the letters looking for one in particular.

"You're 17 now, aren't you?" Eric asked. Matty nodded, opening up the letter that he guessed was from her grandma. Eric sat across from her, watching her read the letter. She read parts aloud, giggling at them and talking about how her aunt was freaking out about her wedding. She finished the letter, putting it back in the envelope. She opened the others from her friends and family. Eric noticed she never got anything, only the letters. After all of the letters were open, she grabbed a pen and jotted down the year on the envelopes. As she was doing so, she told Eric to get the big wooden box in her closet from the top shelf.

Matty laughed at the letters, telling Eric to go get her box. She wrote down the date like always and Eric came back with the box. She opened it, putting this year's letters with the rest of them. "I tell people to not get me presents, so they send letters with the funny stuff that's happened. These go back to the first one when I was 9." Matty pulled out the oldest looking letter. "Emily wrote this one." She locked the box and started upstairs.

"There's one letter left, Matty," Eric pointed out. She was lugging the box back to her room, and she shouted that he could open it. It was a pretty cream colored card. He was looking it over when Matty came back downstairs. "Well it looks like you're going to a wedding." Eric showed her the card.

"This is in 4 days. And she wrote me a note. Oh, you better watch it Auntie Lynn." She pointed out the little handwritten note at the bottom. "Madison, no matter how much you hate it, at weddings you wear dresses." Matty groaned in annoyance. Eric busted out laughing.

"Your full name is Madison?" he was still laughing when he got hit. Matty had smacked him in the back of the head.

"Shut it, city slicker. Or I'll slap ya upside the head again!" Eric was laughing again. Matty was so cute when she was mad. You would never know this tiny little girl had so much fire. She frowned at him and walked upstairs.

Matty took a deep breath and entered her parent's old room. She hadn't been here in what felt like years. She went to her mom's closet and started looking for a dress. Her mom had loved dressing up, and always had at least 5 dresses that fit at all times. After looking for a few minutes, she found a dress she liked and took it to her room.

Eric saw Matty leave early in the evening, but by the look on her face, she didn't want to be messed with. In her hand were wildflowers from the fields. He walked behind her to the door, but she didn't seem to know he was there. He watched her walked down the driveway and down the road. He waited up for her, sitting on the porch steps.

Matty walked the half mile down the road to the tree stump. She put the flowers at the roots, sitting on the stump. It wasn't decaying like normal, but it had gotten worse since last year. She rubbed the two sets of initials she had carved here, along with this date exactly 9 years ago. She looked at Eric's watch, which she had taken a habit of 'borrowing.' As soon as it was 7:54, she closed her eyes and sent up a silent prayer.

The morning before the wedding came, and Matty got a call from her aunt. When she hung up, she told Eric that her Aunt Lynn wanted them to stay the night before so Matty could be there to help. They packed a bag each and Eric climbed in. Matty went back inside to call Emily and tell her how to take care of the dogs. She came back out, only to find Eric in the driver's seat. "What exactly do you think you're doing?" she asked, hands on her hips.

"I'm driving. You drive all the time, so it's time I do." Matty grumbled in annoyance, but got into the passenger seat. She hadn't thrown her bag into the back like Eric did, but he didn't pay any mind to it. "It's about 3 hours up there, so get comfortable," Eric told her. Matty sang along to all the country songs on the radio, laughing and smiling, the wind playing with her ponytail. Soon, the country radio cracked, so Eric changed the station. They listened to what Eric liked, which Matty was thankful it wasn't rapping. After the incredibly long three hours, they got to the hotel where they were supposed to stay. As soon as Matty saw her aunt, she ran over a crushed her in a hug.


	8. Chapter 8

"Auntie Lynn, this is the city slicker I picked up." Eric shook her hand, and she smiled.

"I'm Eric. Nice to meet you, and congratulations." He smiled widely.

"Madison, you didn't tell me this boy of yours is very good looking." Matty turned the deepest red ever, explaining how they weren't dating. "Well come on!" she dragged Matty to greet everyone. Eric went and talked to everyone he could. Eventually he found Matty's grandma.

"So you're the city kid. I'm Mrs. Fray." She stuck out her hand, and Eric shook it. "Now, treat my granddaughter nicely, Eric."

"Oh, no, I'm not her boyfriend." He told her, but she just smiled.

"Not yet, boy." She patted his cheek and walked away, leaving a staring Eric. He shook it off and started helping set up last minute stuff, doing whatever was needed. Matty's aunt had told them he and Matty had to share a room, which freaked both of them out. She laughed at their discomfort, but explained farther. There were two different beds, and they calmed down a little. It was late, so they headed up. Matty changed in the bathroom and Eric in the room. Matty came out and frowned at Eric.

"Do you have to sleep like that?" she asked. He was stretched out on the bed, shirtless. He had his arms behind him, quite obviously trying to impress her, and it was possibly working. She had seen him like this before, but she was never going to get used to it. Not that she wanted to, anyway. Eric grinned at her, telling her she was no better. She looked down at what she was wearing, which were shorts and a tank top. She frowned and crawled into bed.

She had her back to Eric, so he decided to have a little fun. When her breathing slowed and he was sure she was asleep, he got up and lay down next to her. He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer. She was pressed against him, and he realized they fit almost perfectly together. What surprised him was an elbow being shoved in his gut. Matty rolled to face him, her eyes grey. They were close enough that their noses touched. "Get. Out. Of. My. Bed." She was deadly calm. He grinned like the idiot he was, kissed her forehead, and got out of her reach so she couldn't kill him.

Matty was almost asleep when she felt her mattress dip with another weight. She was immediately awake. She felt Eric lay down behind her, skillfully wrapping his arm around her and pulling her to him. He was emitting body heat, and it seeped through her tank top. As soon as she was pressed to him with Eric's arm tight around her, she jabbed her elbow into his stomach.

She probably hurt herself more than she hurt him. Football had been VERY good to him. Seeing him without a shirt was farther evidence of this. She rolled over to face him, a deep blush creeping up her cheeks. "Get. Out. Of. My. Bed." she tried to keep her voice level, unlike her heart that was going crazy at their close proximity. He kissed her forehead, and she thought her heart would bust. He slipped his arm across her back and it sent shivers down her spine. She eventually fell asleep, but not for long.

The nightmare that always lurked nearby finally came back. She woke up crying, and Eric was immediately next to her, pulling her in his arms and holding her tight. He had never seen her like this. She seemed to fold in on herself. When the sobs finally became quieter, she looked up at Eric. He asked what was wrong, so she finally told him the story, and nightmare, where Emily was the only one outside her family knew all of it.

She was 7, and her parents were in the front of the car, all of them talking and laughing. They were coming back from her birthday dinner, the locket they had given her heavy on her neck. She had asked what time it was every few minutes because she would be turning exactly 8 at 8:06. It happened so fast, the little Matty didn't know what happened. A drunk driver hit their car, crushing part of it.

She had passed out soon after. At the hospital, her grandma was waiting for her to wake up. Her dad had died on impact, and her mother had left with him before she even reached the hospital. She had cried for days later. "I have a scar from the crash. Everyone writes letters at my birthday because I want my parents to be the last people to give me a gift. When I found you, your car was exactly where the crash was. I lost my whole life that night, so when you said you didn't believe in love, I couldn't take it. That's the only thing that kept me going. The fact that I knew when my parents died, they still loved me." She was sniffling, and then burst into a fresh wave of tears.

Eric held her tight, almost crying. He didn't know why she hated him, but now he did. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea," he whispered. She nodded, leaning her head against his chest. Eric kissed the top of her head, but she didn't seem to notice. He thought he might as well explain himself. "The reason I said that was because my mom left me and my dad. She said she loved us, but she left us. I was mad at my dad for wanting to get married because I'm still stupid enough to believe she might come back, but I know she won't. That's why I said that. I was mad that my dad had given up hope." Matty looked up at him and smiled.

"Thank you for tellin' me that." She pulled herself out of his grasp. She wiped away the last of her tears. "We should get to sleep. We have a wedding to go tomorrow." Eric smiled, getting up to climb back into his bed, but she grabbed his hand. "Can you stay? I don't want the nightmare to come back, and I usually have my dogs. I don't like being by myself." Matty looked incredibly embarrassed to ask, but Eric could still see the hurt behind it. He lay back down, and she curled up next to him with her head and hand on his chest again. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and her breathing slowed, her sniffling stopped. Eric eventually fell asleep too, thinking about all that she said.


	9. Chapter 9

There are reasons for everything, and maybe this was hers. Matty had built walls around herself. She hid behind a tough, laid-back person, and she made it seem like nothing got to her. It really was amazing to see that Matty had a softer side, one that wasn't expected. This was the side of Matty that Eric was slowly but surely starting to have feelings for.

In the morning Matty was a little surprised to find Eric's arm around her, but when the memories coming back, she relaxed. Eric was still asleep, so she slowly pulled out of his grip and took a shower. She braided her hair, still wet, and pinned it on top of her head. She changed into casual clothes and left to find her Aunt. Knowing her, she had been up with the sun with nerves. As she got to her room, she was yanked inside.

"I can't believe I'm getting married!" her aunt squealed. You would think she was 20 the way she acted. But no, she was 36. The actual wedding wasn't for another 6 hours, so Matty and her aunt decided to have fun, one last time, just like they did years ago. They went to a park near the hotel and watched the ducks. "Do you like Eric?" her aunt questioned. Matty still stared at the ducks.

"I don't know. I told him 'bout mom and dad. I found him there, ya know." Matty's aunt gasped at her.

"It took you a year to tell Emily, and he can get it out of you in a few weeks?" she asked. Matty nodded. "He seems like a good guy. You should at least try." Matty looked at her.

"He doesn't want to be here. As soon as his car can be fixed he's going home. He doesn't even believe in love. There's no point." Aunt Lynn studied her niece.

"Then make him believe in it again. I have to go get ready. Good luck." She left, and Matty sat in silence. An hour before the wedding was supposed to start, Matty head back to the hotel. She pulled out her mother's dress and rubbed the fabric between her fingers. It was a blue, with a flower pattern. It was short sleeves, scooped neck and a full skirt that fell to her knees. She raced into the bathroom when she heard Eric start to open the door. She undid her braids, her hair now in waves. She pulled on the dress, the zipper still undone. She couldn't do it herself, so she stepped out of the bathroom.

Eric walked back into the room, hearing the bathroom door close. He changed into the clothes for the wedding, when he saw Matty come out of the bathroom. He turned away, but quickly snapped his head back. She was beautiful. He had never seen her in a skirt, let alone a dress. Her hair fell over her shoulders, and she looked deep in thought. She turned her back to him, pulling her hair aside. "Can you?" she asked quietly.

Eric walked over to her. Almost her whole back was exposed, the zipper stopping at the base of her spine. Then he saw it; her scar. It ran diagonally from her left shoulder to the bottom of her right ribcage. You normally wouldn't notice it because it didn't show up well against her pale skin, but Eric saw it. He traced the top part of it, and Matty stiffened. "Sorry," he whispered. He zipped up her dress, and she spun to face him. She gave him a small smiled in thanks, walking out the door.

When Eric ran his thumb down her scar, Matty froze. It was like nothing she had ever felt before and it took her breath away. No one had every touched her scar like that. No one she's ever had feelings for. He apologized and zipped up her dress. She smiled, leaving to find her Aunt. When she knocked on the door, a bridesmaid pulled her in, quickly closing the door.

She guessed they didn't want the groom to see his bride just yet. When her Aunt saw her in the mirror, she turned and gasped. "You look just like your mother." Her aunt was about to cry, so Matty rushed to stop it. Her mother was Auntie Lynn's sister-in-law, but since she had all brothers, she and Matty's mom were always close. After Matty made sure her Aunt was ready, she rushed to find a seat next to Eric.

Matty watched her aunt the entire time. Then, she turned to look at Eric, than at their hands. He had slipped his hand into hers. She looked back at Eric and he moved his hand away. Matty rolled her eyes at him, though he didn't see. His hands were sitting in his lap, and Matty bumped his hand with hers. He looked at her funny, but she slipped her hand into his again, intertwining their fingers. Matty grinned, and Eric smiled back.

When Aunt Lynn had finally become Mrs. Wright, Matty got to do one of her favorite thing in the world: dance. She was up almost the entire night. But, since her boots were high heeled, she eventually sat down to rest. A slower song played, and Matty didn't expect anyone to ask her. She closed her eyes, listening to Blake Shelton's God Gave Me You when she felt someone kneel next to her and place a hand on her knee. She opened her eyes to see Eric smiling at her. "Will you dance with me?" She started to say no, but the look in his eyes made her say yes.

They walked onto the dance floor again, and Eric pulled Matty close. They were dancing, and Eric kept her laughing the whole time. "You ready?" Eric asked her. He spun her, and her dress floated with her. She spun back, stopping with the end of the song. They both looked at each other, smiling from ear to ear. Matty blushed and looked down.

Eric had watched Matty all night. Her grandma came and sat next to him later in the evening. "Go ask her to dance. She won't say no." Eric looked at her. "Go on, city slicker, ask her. I can tell you have some feelings, no matter how small." She pushed him out of his chair when a slow song came on. He asked her to dance, and she said yes. Near the end of the song, he spun her. She froze with the music, pressed against him. She really was pretty, and Eric just realized it. Matty lifted her chin slightly, and Eric could feel her breath brushing his cheek. He was too close to kissing her, and he was glad for the interruption.

Her aunt came up to them, apologizing for barging in, and pulled Matty with her. People were supposed to give speeches, and Matty was going to be one of them. She walked on stage, looking completely at home. "Hey y'all, I'm Matty. I'm the niece of the new Mrs. Wright over there. I'm sorry 'bout the accent; really, I am. Auntie Lynn, I'm so proud of you. I know you're the adult here and supposed to be proud of me, but I think I can do that right 'bout now." She got a few chuckles. "You're like a mother to me, and you can't really have a mom without a daddy, so welcome to the family Uncle Dave. Wow, I'm gonna have to get used to that. That kind of sounds funny, but I've got a while to get used to it. I'm going to tell you now. We Fray women may be small, but we have some attitude. And since I learned from the best," she gestured to her aunt, "I suggest you be VERY careful."

There were a lot more laughs this time. "And just 'cause your name suggests you're never wrong; make sure you're prepared to be." She had the whole room laughing now. "Good luck you guys and I hope this will last forever." People clapped, and Matty stepped off the stage, hugging her aunt, who was in tears, and her new uncle, who was laughing and patting her on the back.


	10. Chapter 10

"How do you do it?" Eric asked as Matty sat down. She shot him a look. "You can make everyone laugh and feel like their family and without being scared, either. It's amazing." Matty shrugged, but smiled.

Matty was up dancing again when a guest of Uncle Dave's walked up and started to dance with her. It was a slow song, and he held her a little too close to be friendly. He stank of alcohol, even though there was none at the wedding. The man was much older than her, possibly in his late thirties. He started talking to her, making incomprehensible sentences. His hands were slowly making their way dangerously low behind her. Matty was about to push him away when a strong arm moved her away. A large body stepped in front of her, blocking her from the drunk. Eric stood there, hands fisted at his sides.

Matty didn't normally need his help, but this time she didn't mid too much. "What do you think you're doing?" Eric asked. To anyone else he sounded fine, but Matty had lived with him and was pretty good at pissing people off. This was the deadly calm before the storm.

"I was having a wonderful dance with this beautiful lady," he slurred. He tried to reach around Eric to grab Matty, but Eric blocked his path again. He wrapped an arm very protectively around her, pulling her close to his side.

"Leave now, or I'll get our hosts, and I don't think they want their night ruined by an idiot who can't keep his hands off a younger woman." Woman…well that was new to her. The man snarled at him, trying to reach for Matty. She shrank into Eric's side, and he glared at the drunk. He eventually gave up and left, probably to find someone else to bother. Eric turned to her, hands on her shoulder "Are you ok? I can't stand people like that," he grunted. Matty nodded, pulling closer to Eric wrapping her arms around him.

She smiled up at him, thanking him for helping her. It ended in a yawn, one of many already. "Go to sleep for Pete's sake!" he laughed.

"We're not staying any longer. We have to go home tonight," Matty explained. Eric groaned and looked at his watch.

"It's almost midnight. Do you want to head back now?" She nodded. They said goodbye to the new couple and Matty handed them her gift. It was a small, leather bound notebook, one that Eric had seen in Matty's room. It had a bookmark near the center, with a glass heart hanging off the end. Her aunt opened it and looked at Matty.

"You didn't!" Matty just smiled. "Thank you so much. I can't believe this!" her aunt flipped to the end, scanning the last page. "And you added the wedding!" She hugged her niece. "He doesn't know, does he?" she asked Matty about Eric's confused expression, and Matty shook her head. "Your little Madison here is a writer. And this is a story of me and Dave she started when you were what?" Neither of them bothered to correct her that they weren't dating because neither of them cared one bit.

"I was 14," Matty supplied.

"When we started dating, she wrote about all the dates in here. I read some of it and it's amazing. Thank you again." Matty smiled. Eric and Matty were about to leave with their bags when her grandma came rushing up.

"I'm going to be staying up here a till the end of summer, I think. They have the best shopping here. But this is for you. Don't open it until you guys get home, ok?" She handed them a wrapped shoebox. They nodded. "Thank you for coming." She hugged Matty, then Eric. "Remember what I said," she whispered. She walked away, waving before she disappeared into the crowd. They climbed into the truck, with Eric driving.

When they got into the range, Matty turned on the country station. She played this station all the time at her house, and Eric had picked up a few songs. He started singing along too, which surprised Matty. He had a great voice. Together, they sounded pretty good. Eventually they pulled into Matty's driveway. She grabbed her box and raced inside. Eric laughed and grabbed their bags. When he got inside, Matty was smiling through tears. She had opened the box and was looking at a picture.

Eric looked at the picture and smiled. Matty looked exactly like her mom, with the same hair and eyes. They were even wearing the same dress. It was one of those instant pictures that are printed right out of Polaroid camera. Out of the box, she pulled a camera. She looked at Eric, and they smiled at the same time. They walked to the porch, Matty trying to look the same as the picture. Eric got it, and they compared the two. They were almost identical. "Come on, let's get a few of us." They took a few of themselves, laughing and making faces. "We should probably go to bed. It's 3:30 in the morning," Eric told her. She nodded and headed upstairs. He was almost to his room when he noticed the dogs. All four of them were on his bed.

Matty came up the stairs behind Eric and laughed at him. The dogs were all sleeping, and looked too lazy to move. "Leave them alone, Eric. They're not gonna move and all they'll do is bite if you mess with them," Matty told him. "You can sleep downstairs. It's cooler down there anyway." He sighed and grabbed his pillow, going to the couch downstairs. Matty smiled and climbed into her bed, easily falling asleep.


	11. Chapter 11

The next morning, storm clouds were gathering, and by ten, it was pouring. Matty spent the day on the porch, writing or watching the rain. The storm never cleared, and the temperature dropped dramatically. She eventually rushed inside when the rain started picking up and was getting her wet. She grabbed the old black raincoat and raced outside to feed the horses. Being barefoot, she was up to her ankles in mud. When she got back to the house, she stepped into the puddle the gutter made and washed up. Eric stayed out of Matty's way. She never seemed to like being cooped up.

By five, the rain had thickened even more. Just as Matty finished cooking, the power shut off. She sat the food on the table and she watched Eric eat. "Are we going to be ok without lights?" he asked. Matty smiled at the thought of Eric being scared of the dark.

"Tonight I need to find flashlights and the candles, but for now, yes." She picked at her food, eventually giving it to Eric. Storms always made her nervous. A woman's house down the road caught fire when it was struck by lightning. It was getting dark fast, so she might as well start finding candles. She pulled them out of the drawers, as well as a pack of matches. She lit the candles, placing them around the bottom floor of her house. Eric helped a little, picking up the candles she had already lit. She ran out of candles, so she tried to find a flashlight to look in her closet for more. Matty found one, but on the top shelf. She stood on her tiptoes, failing to reach the light.

Suddenly, she felt a warm body press against her. Eric reached the shelf easily. His arm was wrapped around her waist, keeping her right where he wanted her to be. She crossed her arms and sighed. He handed her the flashlight, then rested his chin on her head. There was no space between the two, but neither seemed to mind. She either would be pressed against the counter, the edge pushing into her stomach uncomfortably, or Eric. She picked Eric. Matty liked the warmth he had. It was comforting, and he somehow had the talent of taking her breath away. "Are you going to let me by?" she asked. He laughed but didn't move. She groaned, but inwardly she was glad he didn't.

Eric watched as Matty tried to reach the light at the top shelf. An idea flashed through his head and he walked up to her. Carefully, he slid his arm around her. Her shirt exposed an inch or two of skin above the waistband of her shorts, and Eric made sure his hand was placed on her smooth skin of her hip. He gave her the flashlight, wrapping his other arm around her. He placed his chin on her head. Eric was pretty sure Matty couldn't get any closer, but it didn't bother him what so ever.

"Hey, consider yourself lucky. Most girls would die to be the close to me," Eric smirked. He felt Matty tense, and he laughed again. She eventually relaxed into him, leaning against him. Thunder shook the house, and she turned in his arms. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she buried her head in his chest. Every time lightning flashed and thunder sounded, she pressed closer. She was close to shaking. Wrapping one arm around her shoulders and the other under her knees, he scooped her up. She looked fragile and small curled up to his broad chest and wrapped in his arms. Those weren't words usually used to describe Matty.

He sat her down on the couch, wrapping her in a blanket. Even in the summer, the storm had brought a cold front and the temperature was now dropping past 50°. He got extra candles from upstairs and sat next to Matty. She wasn't shaking, which was good. Matty basically fell over on the couch. She twisted, putting her head in Eric's lap, stretching out along the length of it. She lay on her back, her eyes closed.

Her hair was coming loose from her usual braid and Eric brushed away a strand from her face with gentle finger tips. Matty opened her eyes, narrowing them. "I feel like a fool." She sat up pulling away from Eric. Thunder crashed again, and was louder and closer than before. "Maybe bein' a fool isn't so bad." She scooted next to Eric, putting her head on his shoulder. He reached over, moving her so she was in his lap. She buried her face into his neck, one hand placed on his shoulder. She fell asleep eventually, and as soon as Eric knew she wasn't waking up, he moved her. Placing her on the couch, he grabbed a blanket and pillow and lay out on the floor. Matty wasn't used to sleeping without her dogs, but they were cowering under her bed. Her hand moved, searching for her comforting dogs. Eric slipped his hand into hers, and she intertwined her fingers with his.

Matty was never the person to sleep late, even if she was dead tired. She woke to find Eric's hand intertwined with hers. She smiled, slowly pulling loose from his grip. She was up by 8, cooking breakfast. Eric was still asleep, so she wrote him a note, put it on the breakfast that would wake him up eventually, and went riding. It was blistering hot, and probably would only get hotter. She would have to check the radio to see. Ryan, Taylor, and Blake followed her, while Kenny stayed behind.

She rode Genevieve bareback down to the river. The storm had knocked over a few branches, and the river was raging somewhat strongly. She took the horse blanket and made a pillow for herself. After a little, she felt her horse lay down next to her. She put her head on her stomach, listening to Genevieve's breath. The dogs weren't swimming because of the current, so they came over to Matty. Taylor curled up with her head on Matty's knee, and Matty folded her hands on her stomach, falling asleep.


	12. Chapter 12

Eric woke up to a quiet house. He saw Kenny sleeping under the table, but woke up and raised his head, wagging his tail. He grabbed the note and a waffle, reading Matty's sloppy handwriting. She was out with her horse and the dogs. Eric wanted to take pictures of this place to remember everything. He went around, taking pictures of Mae and her kittens, the horses, and the fields. He climbed onto the horse he always rode, read to take pictures of the trails. He knew there was a river in the back of the property, so he followed the most worn path.

He found the river, and Matty still sleeping. Eric got off his horse as quietly as he could. The dogs heard him but when they realized who it was they went back to sleeping. Eric took a picture of Matty sleeping with her animals. Genevieve heard Trace come into the clearing and whinnied, but didn't get up. Eric didn't wake up Matty, but just sat on the rocks with his feet in the rushing water.

Matty wasn't surprised when she felt the weight of Taylor's head leave her knee, but she lay back down eventually. She thought she heard another horse, but she was too far into dreamland to think much about it. Soon enough, Matty finally had a coherent dream. Eric was there, and they were dancing. Matty realized she was in a dress, and immediately didn't like the dream. But, she was being held close to Eric and it did feel wonderful. He spun her, just like at the wedding, and tipped her backwards. She looked up in his eyes, and he leaned down to kiss her. She woke up, smiling and blushing. She found Eric watching her from the other side of the clearing.

When Eric heard Matty wake up, he turned to look at her and smiled. She looked so embarrassed, and it was pretty funny. When Matty caught him staring at her, she blushed harder, getting up and sitting next to him. She sat close enough to him to be comfortable, but not as close as Eric wanted her to be. He scooted closer to her, and she threw a look at him. All he did was smile and lean back on his hands. She rolled her eyes and watched the river with him. The heat was getting worse, and Eric finally had enough. He pulled off his shirt and jumped in the water. It was pretty high for Matty, with it being almost to the top of her waist, but Eric was a lot taller than her. The water came up to the top of his shorts.

The dogs followed Eric into the water, splashing along with him. He played with them for a few minutes, with Matty sitting and laughing at them the whole time. Her shirt was still by Genevieve, so she was only in her tank top and shorts. Eric stopped splashing, looking at Matty. His hair was dripping, and he shook like a wet dog. It got Matty wet and she giggled. That was not normal for her…at all. "Please come in and swim with us! It's a lot of fun and the dogs want you to come." The dogs chose the perfect time to beg. Matty shook her head.

"No way am I doing that! Last time they tackled me, and now I know you're a football player and chances are you will too!" she crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. She was taunting them. Eric got an evil glint in his eye and rushed up the bank. Matty saw this and took off. She ran as fast as she could, but running wasn't her thing and Eric had longer legs than her. She ran barely 20 yards before Eric was able to catch her. He picked her up over his shoulder and carried her back to the water. "Put me down city slicker! I will hurt you!" she screamed the entire way. They finally reached the water and Eric threw her in.

Matty broke the surface of the stream, her ponytail plastered to the back of her neck. She looked smaller than usual when she was wet, and Eric busted out laughing. Crossing her arms, she started to walk out of the water. She reminded him of a wet cat. Eric couldn't have this happen. He raced after her, picking her up again. She jabbed him in the side, and he dropped her before she was too high in the air. He fell backwards into the water. Matty laughed but when he didn't come up right away, she got worried.

She started looking for him, but couldn't find him. She turned around to look the way she came, when Eric caught her. He hugged her to him, and she almost screamed. Her tank top had gotten messed up in the water, so with Eric's arms around her, they were pressed to her bare stomach. "What did you just do? You scared the livin' snot outta me!" She hit him repeatedly in the chest, not realizing he was still shirtless. She didn't hit too hard, but he got the idea.

She was breathless, having been scared out of her mind. She looked down, finally seeming to notice that Eric was without a shirt. She blushed and pulled away, but Eric held her close. Matty blushed harder, and twisted out of his embrace. She stuck her tongue out at Eric, wringing out her hair. "Today's Thursday, city slicker. The wire to your car comes in tomorrow." The thought popped into her head, and she said it without realizing it. Eric looked down at her, and she saw a look in his eyes that she couldn't figure out. She climbed onto her horse looking back at Eric.

After they reached the house, the sun was high in the sky and the heat was killer. Matty took the hose and sprayed down the horses, trying to keep them cool and not overheat. Eric went into the house to see if she had anything to keep them at a normal temperature. Finding nothing, he went back outside. Matty was still with the horses. The dogs were with Matty and the horses, trying to eat tand snap at the water. Eric was laughing, almost being tackled by the dogs. Matty turned off the hose and looked at Eric. He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. Matty caught this and frowned. "You don't wanna leave here, do you?" she asked. He shook his head.

"The first time I saw you, you couldn't stay here for more than one day. Now, you can't leave," she smirked at him. He stuck out his tongue.

"I don't know. This place has grown on me. It's so…peaceful here," Eric looked down at his hands. Matty smiled, thinking of all the times that it really wasn't quiet or peaceful here.

"No, it's been pretty crazy here. This one time, for my 7th birthday, my parents had this huge party here. Every kid's dream is to get a pony for their birthday, and I actually got one. I was so excited, and I got to ride her, even if she wasn't full grown. I was pretty small, but I had to ride her bareback because she couldn't handle a saddle." Matty smiled at the memory. "Everyone was cheering for me. It was so loud, my grandma joked that she lost her hearing for 3 days."

That made Eric chuckle, imagining Matty's grandma complaining about her hearing. She seemed so sweet when he met her. They went through the day, staying inside. That night, Matty couldn't sleep. She faced her clock, which was slowly creeping up on 11 o'clock. She had an idea, and grabbing her old quilt, she carefully walked down the hall. When she passed Eric's room, the light shone under the door. She knocked quietly and opened it to a surprised Eric. "I know you can't sleep. It's too hot. Now come on. I have something to show you." She walked downstairs, a slightly stunned and confused boy following behind. She reached the barn and climbed up to the hayloft. She opened a trap door on the roof and stuck her head out. Eric rushed up to help Matty as soon he saw her disappear, only to find her sitting on a platform on the roof.


End file.
